Join the great outdoor workout

Exercise in the open air feels good and does you good. Olivia Gordon explains how...

This year, it seems everyone's ditching their gym membership - it's overpriced, and even worse, joyless, airless and boring. Instead, more and more of us are getting into outdoor exercise. And with the glorious weather this summer, there's never been a better time to experience the benefits of getting your heart pumping under the big blue sky.

 

What's so great about the great outdoors?

There are so many pluses compared to going to the gym - for a start, you're not crammed into some sweaty airless room, but have all the space, visual variety and refreshing breeze you need.

 

Simply being outside in sunlight, which provides essential vitamin D, is something our office-bound bodies crave, and scientific studies have found that even gentle walking in greenery can alleviate depression, stress and anxiety. The oxygen in fresh unpolluted air really is good for you, cleaning the lungs. ‘I believe that you get a better exercise experience outdoors, but the benefits go far beyond the physical benefits alone,' says outdoor fitness expert Bridgit Napleton, who runs classes in London's Highgate Woods (www.green-fit.co.uk) and sometimes brings her dog along, too. ‘I love being in touch with the seasons and nature - hearing the birds, seeing the blossoms.'

 

And heading outside will help your purse, of course. Replacing your gym membership with free activities like going for a jog or a walk, or gardening, could save as much as £1,000 per year. Take the whole family and the dog, and you'll enjoy extra time with them, too.

 

Improving fitness is all about keeping the body challenged with a variety of movements - and the range of physical challenges nature presents ups your fitness level. Rather than jogging flat on a treadmill, or swimming in a waveless pool, you'll get to grips with all kinds of inclines, surfaces and wind-resistances (jog on the beach for a real challenge!).

 

DIY outdoor fitness

The wonderful thing about exercising outside is that you don't have to belong to any club. All you need to do is get out there and make exercise a pleasant part of your daily life - whether it's a ramble in the countryside, a swim at the seaside, a game of tennis, some outdoor yoga, jogging with the baby in a buggy for 20 minutes, or a cycle-ride to the shops. It all counts. If you're gardening, fitness expert Nicki Waterman suggests doing lunges while mowing, or squats while planting (as if gardening wasn't hard enough work already! Weeding alone burns 280 calories per hour.) You can also do your own strength routines using a park bench: Bridgit Napleton recommends using one for lunges, press-ups, and tricep dips. You'll be stretching against a tree before you know it! (Read our boot-camp review here.)

 

Green gyms

If you like the motivation of gym-style group fitness classes, why not try one of the many park-based fitness classes springing up all over the country? Most are friendly and informal, only costing a few pounds per session. The type of classes range from running to fitness walking to circuit training to military-style regimes (see www.britmilfit.com) to body conditioning to fitness for mums with babies in pushchairs - look at the notice-boards of your local park, in your local paper, Google or ask the council to see what classes meet in green spaces near you.

 

Some parks even have their own outdoor gym equipment for strength training. Or join an outdoor sports club - at www.englandnetball.co.uk, for example, you can find amateur netball clubs near you.

 

Do it for charity

If you'd like an added incentive to your outdoor exercise, why not sign up to one of the many activities you can do for charity? Breast Cancer Campaign is organising ‘Pink Aerobics' sessions in parks nationwide, as well as a Step On It walking campaign and women-only cycling races (www.breastcancercampaign.org). Or join an organised ‘Big Bone' charity walk for the National Osteoporosis Society (www.nos.org.uk).

 

Have an adventure

The range of possibilities is vast, so get out there and try something different: the key to sticking to exercise is to find something you actually love. Have you thought about canoeing, surfing, horse-riding, climbing, mountain-biking or beach volleyball?

 

For some, only a boot-camp will do. If you're ready for a week at a fit farm, head to Devon or Wales for the New You Boot Camp (www.newyoubootcamp.com), for a week's military-style boot camp or luxury versions. The same company also runs one-day boot-camps at local parks across the UK.

 

Stay safe

Make sure you wear sunscreen and, if you like, also a sports-hat and sunglasses.

 

Nature has no lockers. Leave your valuables at home and take as little as possible to carry so you can move freely - if possible, arrange for someone else to let you in so you don't have to carry your house keys.

 

Be safety-conscious - don't go to green spaces after dusk, and be careful even jogging on the road in the dark as it's easy to trip. Wear brightly coloured clothing if you're on the road after dark.

 

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